Centre of Excellence for Power Plant Efficiency: An Indian Case Study

Asia Clean Energy Forum 2012

Monali Zeya Hazra, Clean Energy Specialist USAID /India, New Delhi

Centre for Power Efficiency & Environmental Protection (CenPEEP)

Developed under the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Prevention (GEP) Program. Joint U.S.-India Climate Change initiative in the power sector. Protocol of intent signed on July 1994 between USAID/India and NTPC Ltd. (the Indian counterpart).

Technical assistance provided by National Energy Technology Laboratory, USDoE.

2

Goal
Develop an institution to cater to the Indian power sector for:
GHG emissions reduction per unit of electricity generated from coal fired power plants by performance optimization in terms of efficiency, availability & reliability. Technology acquisition for performance optimization. Institutionalization of cooperation for technology transfer.

Develop an institution, a knowledge think tank, at par with international facility to provide technical assistance to other Indian state utilities.
3

Strategy: A Win-Win

Methodology

Outcome and Impacts

GEP resulted in avoidance of 99.1 million tonnes from 1995 through 2010.

Outcome and impacts

Highly cost effective. Per unit cost of Green House Gases (GHG) reduction - $0.32 per ton. Comparatively, average carbon emission reductions through Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was priced at $14/tonne in 2010. Coal savings valued at $1.5 billion - savings equivalent to the capital cost of building 2x1000 MW of new coal-fired generating capacity Ambient air quality improvement, but no hard data

CenPEEP An effective model

Important part of NTPC and widely respected. Brought changes at NTPC with significant emphasis on efficiency improvement. Worked with 14 State Electricity Boards (SEBs). Partial changes at SEBs. Technically acclaimed publications - Heat Rate Improvement Guidelines. International awards such as World Climate Technology Award, USEPA Climate Protection Award. Indian awards such as India Power Awards 2008 and Bureau of Indian Standards Star Quality Award 2009.
9

CenPEEPs sustainability There is significant evidence that new institutional capacity will be sustained:
Within NTPC, adoption of systems, practices and technologies has been followed by plant-level performance monitoring. Plants monitor data independent of CenPEEP.

Institutionalized training program at NTPCs Power Management Institute.

By training SEB personnel in many areas, the capacity of certain facilities has been strengthened.

10

Learnings Constraints on improved environmental and operational performance are primarily institutional rather than technical. Significant gains in reducing GHGs, lowering costs, and increasing reliability and availability can be through low-cost measures. Institutionalization essential for sustainability
Local capability building Widespread dissemination and training

Successful transfer of technology depends on:

The type of technology and systems - low cost high benefit, sectoral needs, wide replicability. Demonstration (seeing is believing).
11

Partnership to Advance Clean Energy - Deployment Continue our coal work under new energy program PACE-D

Limited funding due to fossil fuel earmark.

Support centre of excellence in TA for super critical. Develop a concept model power plant

Continue work on efficiency improvement but target state utilities.

12